Tripura Pradesh Congress has criticised the state government’s smart meter policy, alleging inflated electricity bills and financial burden on consumers. The party demanded withdrawal of additional charges, transparent billing data, and an impartial investigation into complaints of abnormal electricity bills following smart meter installations.
The Tripura Pradesh Congress has strongly criticised the state government’s smart meter policy, alleging that the installation of smart electricity meters has placed an additional financial burden on ordinary consumers through unexpectedly high electricity bills.
Addressing a press conference at the Pradesh Congress Headquarters in Agartala on Wednesday, Congress spokesperson Prabir Chakraborty accused the BJP-led state government of misleading consumers by presenting smart meters as a measure aimed at improving transparency, efficiency and modernisation in the power sector.
According to Chakraborty, several households have allegedly received unusually high electricity bills even though their consumption patterns have remained largely unchanged. He argued that the government must provide a clear explanation whenever consumers face a sudden increase in electricity charges.
“Electricity is not a luxury; it is a basic necessity,” Chakraborty said, stressing that consumers should not be subjected to unexplained financial pressure because of changes in the metering system. He also referred to his own household’s experience of receiving an unusually high electricity bill after the introduction of smart metering.
The Congress spokesperson maintained that the party was not opposed to technology or modernisation in the electricity sector. However, he questioned the policy if smart meters were resulting in billing disputes and increased expenses for consumers.
Chakraborty demanded that the state government publish comparative data on electricity consumption and billing before and after the installation of smart meters. He also called for an impartial investigation into complaints from consumers who claim to have received inflated or abnormal bills.
The Congress further targeted Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath, accusing him of spreading what Chakraborty described as “false propaganda” regarding the benefits of smart meters. In a sharp political remark, he said the minister would deserve a “gold medal” if there were an award for misleading the public.
Along with opposing the smart meter policy, the Pradesh Congress demanded the withdrawal of additional charges imposed on electricity consumers. Party leaders said such charges were adding to public dissatisfaction at a time when households were already concerned about rising electricity expenses.
| Also Read: Power Minister addresses Tripura electricity bill controversies |
SC Department chairman Niranjan Das and Sadar district Congress president Tanmoy Roy were among the leaders present during the press conference. They supported the party’s demand for greater transparency in electricity billing and relief from additional consumer charges.
The Congress said the government should address consumer complaints promptly and ensure that any modernisation of the power system remains transparent, accountable and affordable. The party maintained that smart metering should ultimately benefit consumers rather than create uncertainty over electricity bills.
